


Safe House

by squash1



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Adam Parrish M.D., Future Fic, M/M, Marriage Proposal, POV Ronan Lynch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 17:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13369848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squash1/pseuds/squash1
Summary: The dream from the night before is still vivid in his memory. Ronan closes his eyes and lets the supercut play in his mind like a movie. Adam coming home to him. Adam laughing joyfully. Adam running through grass fields chased by a delightedly squealing Opal. Adam laying his heavy head to rest on Ronan’s shoulder after a long day. As the scenes flash by his inner eye, Ronan senses emotions swelling in his chest. For years, he recalls feeling nothing but anger and pain and resentment. Nowadays, things are better for Ronan. He feels at home again. Hopeful. Loved.Or: Ronan decides to propose to Adam.





	Safe House

**Author's Note:**

> Helloooo,  
> I'm back with my second Pynch fic. I really wanted to explore the idea of Ronan and Adam all grown up and trying to navigate the next steps in their relationship. I also just really, really wanted to write something about Adam becoming a doctor. 
> 
> Since this fic is set 8 years post-TRK, I’ve allowed myself to portray these characters the way I imagine them at that point. They have had a lot of time to grow and their relationship as progressed a lot, they have been through ups and downs (with handling a long-distance relationship over many years and all). I don’t think Adam and Ronan are terribly OOC in this, but I would appreciate your criticism if you imagine their personalities to develop differently.
> 
> Also, a little disclaimer: I know literally nothing about US infrastructure, interstates/highways, or Boston. All I know is that I really needed Adam to graduate from Harvard Medical School.

" _I’m gonna look good for you honey_

_I’ll get myself together_

_Spend you all of my money, yeah_

_And I know it’s hard enough to love me_

_But I woke up in a safe house singing_

_Honey, let’s get married_ "

-

(Bleachers, Let's Get Married)

 

* * *

 

 

It happens the day before Adam’s graduation. Ronan has been thinking about it for a while now, weighing options and opportunities in his mind and never coming to a conclusion. Not until now, at least. When he wakes that Thursday morning, sleep paralysis is holding him captive for longer than usual. As Ronan lies alone in his bed, unable to move and with his heart hammering against his ribcage, he lets his thoughts wander: What is Adam up to right this moment? Probably already awake, Ronan muses, and sipping coffee in his small, dingy kitchen. Is he nervous? Excited? A bit of both? Ronan thinks of the way Adam’s leg is bouncing anxiously beneath the table, the wrinkles in the old cotton t-shirt that is most likely one he nicked from Ronan the last time he visited the Barns, his tousled hair aglow in the morning sun.

The invisible ropes holding him in place loosen and Ronan breathes deeply, opens his eyes. The fingers of his right hand are curled tightly around a small velvet box. Ronan loosens his grip and sits up, sheets pooling around his waist. He drops the box onto the linen and rubs both of his hands over his tired eyes. Ronan really isn’t a morning person, but he has a ten-hour road trip to Boston ahead of him and wants to spend a calm evening with his boyfriend instead of rushing up the interstate to arrive mere hours before the ceremony, grumpy and exhausted. He is unsure if Adam would forgive him if he fell asleep during his med-school graduation, let alone agree to marry him.

Ronan stares at the box in front of him, anxiously tapping his fingers against the mattress. The dream from the night before is still vivid in his memory. Ronan closes his eyes and lets the supercut play in his mind like a movie. Adam coming home to him. Adam laughing joyfully. Adam running through grass fields chased by a delightedly squealing Opal. Adam laying his heavy head to rest on Ronan’s shoulder after a long day. Adam sneaking scraps of his donut to Chainsaw. Adam coming up next to him and taking his hand. The lights down low and Adam’s whisper of “ _I love you_ ” in his ear, trembling, holding him tight. As the scenes flash by his inner eye, Ronan senses emotions swelling in his chest. For years, he recalls feeling nothing but anger and pain and resentment. Nowadays, things are better for Ronan. He feels at home again. Hopeful. Loved.

The box is almost feather-light and its surface is soft and dark as night. Ronan can’t supress the grin forming on his face, and doesn’t make an effort to try. Eventually, the curiosity becomes too much to bear and he opens the box to take a peek at his dream creation. Ronan recognises the form immediately, it’s strikingly similar to the braided engravings on his mother’s wedding ring, only the one he dreamed is a tangle of strands of gold intertwining and mingling into a delicate pattern reminiscent of Ronan’s heritage. Upon closer inspection, Ronan notices the word _magician_ etched into one of the strands on the inner side of the ring. If he weren’t such an emotional wreck in that very moment, he would probably cringe with embarrassment at the intricate detail his subconscious has put into the design. Ronan places the ring back into its box and snaps the lid shut. He knows what his dreams are trying to tell him. He knows that he is ready, that the time has come to pop the question. Still, Ronan can’t help the tiny flare of anxiety pushing him to wonder: Is Adam ready, too?

Ignoring this thought seems to be the most efficient option in that moment. With a glance at the alarm clock on his nightstand Ronan notices that a long while has flown by since he woke, and scrambles out of bed and into the bathroom. An hour passes before Ronan is showered, shaved, and both him and Opal are dressed and packed for their trip to Massachusetts. Opal complains when Ronan won’t let her have froot loops as usual, whinging and pouting all the way from the kitchen to the front porch to the BMW.

“We’ll stop by a diner on the way, okay? We just really need to get going,” he explains as he straps her into her car seat, “The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to see Adam, alright?”

Opal seems comforted by this idea and stops complaining. Ronan swings himself into the driver’s seat and swiftly pulls out of the driveway, gravel splattering as the Barns disappear into the distance behind him.

-

They are about half an hour out of Henrietta when Opal’s stomach grumbles audibly. They stop for breakfast at the next rest area. Opal insists on a full English and stains her shirt after poking at a fried tomato rather harshly. The waitress smiles at Ronan sympathetically, “Travelling with kids, huh?” she says and Ronan scowls.

“Yeah. Annoying little bastards,” he says as he hands Opal a paper napkin.

“You seem very young to have a daughter her age,” the woman then says, obviously trying to make conversation. Ronan fights the urge to roll his eyes. _Be polite_ , Adam would probably tell him and explain that there is no harm in small talk. Ronan is less abrasive these days but he is still not a fan of strangers intruding for no reason.

“She’s adopted,” Ronan answers promptly, “We like to think fate brought her into our little family.” The waitress nods, and points to his almost empty mug of coffee.

“Care for a refill?”

“Sure, thanks.”

“Me too!” Opal exclaims, holding out the cup that previously held her hot chocolate, and after Ronan glares at her she adds, “Please!”

“Of course, darling!” the waitress beams and hurries over to the counter.

“How long till we get to Adam’s?” Opal asks through a mouthful of eggs. Ronan sighs and retrieves his phone from the back pocket of his jeans. The waitress is back with a fresh mug of cocoa for Opal, which she sets down on the table only for Opal to grab and take a big gulp from it immediately. “Thank you!” she says, wiping the foam from her lip.

“It’s twenty minutes to nine. If we count in a couple more pit-stops we’ll probably be in Boston by 7pm,” he answers, and thanks the waitress as she pours him his second cup of coffee.

“So we better get going,” Opal decides and starts shovelling the rest of her eggs into her mouth. Ronan laughs heartily at the sight. Once Opal is done and Ronan has finished his coffee, his breakfast sandwich long devoured, they pay for the meal and hit the road. After plenty of hours listening to Opal’s favourite playlist, incidentally also the compilation of tracks created by Ronan specifically for Adam to listen to whilst studying for his many med school exams, and nearly twenty rounds of _I Spy_ , the two of them finally take their exit off the interstate and into the heart of Boston.

-

When they round the corner after parking the BMW, Adam is already waiting for them on the front steps to his apartment building. Opal is the first to spot him and charges towards him and into his arms, her impact almost knocking him over. Ronan’s laugh is loud and jovial as he approaches them.

“Don’t play too rough, Opal, the man knows how to handle a scalpel,” he warns jokingly, crossing his arms. Adam looks up at him and flashes him his most elegant smile.

“And syringes.”

“Ugh!” Opal calls out, pushing Adam away from her, “I hate needles.”

“I know,” Adam says, patting her shoulder comfortingly, “You’re lucky you seem to be immune to pretty much any human pathogen.”

“You should’ve studied chosen the little rascal as the subject for your M.D. thesis. Probably would’ve won some sort of Nobel prize for your ground-breaking scientific discovery.”

“Aw, shucks! Shame I’ve already handed it in,” Adam says, finally, finally, sneaking his arms around Ronan’s waist and pulling him closer. Ronan’s hands come up to cup his face, fingers wrapping around the nape of Adam’s neck. “Hi,” Adam says and when Ronan closes the gap between them he can’t help but smile into the kiss.

“Gross,” Opal scowls and Ronan can hear her boots shuffling up the steps towards the entrance of the apartment building. Adam is first to pull away from their embrace and reaches around to his back pocket to retrieve his keys. When Ronan turns to look at Opal, the girl is hanging from the railing in a sloth-like fashion.

“Let’s go inside,” he proposes and leads the way past a dangling Opal. Ronan can’t help himself and reaches out to softly pinch her knee. The girl squeals in surprise and drops her leg to escape the tickling grip.

“Hey! Not fair!” she says, frowning, but moves to follow Adam into the building.

Adam doesn’t look back as he takes the flight of stairs up to his apartment. Instead, he sighs audibly and shakes his head. “That’s right, get your wiggles out before the ceremony tomorrow.”

Halfway up the stairs, Ronan catches up to him and wraps his arms around his waist form behind. “Yes, doctor. Will do, doctor.” It proves distinctly more difficult to walk up the stairs this way, but there is too much comfort to be found in the gesture to let go.

“You’re impossible, Lynch,” Adam laughs when he is quite literally swept off his feet after unlocking the door to his apartment. Ronan pushes the door open with his hip and carries Adam into the living room. He turns to watch the door fall into its lock behind Opal who kicks off her boots by the clothes rail.

“Is it safe for her to walk around without them on?” Ronan asks, half bent over the sofa, half kneeling on it. Adam blinks up at him, grinning.

“Yep. Talia is having dinner with her parents, she said she’d be out late. And that she’d text me when she’s on her way home.”

The situation with Adam’s roommate isn’t tense per se, but since Adam decided not to tell his college friends about his teenage endeavours with magic forests, ghosts, and dead Welsh kings, Opal is a bit of a touchy subject around the house. To Adam’s friends at university, she is Ronan’s little sister of whom he had custody after their parents’ untimely death. Talia accepted this explanation only begrudgingly, and Adam often voices concerns that she had grown suspicious of the little girl, especially since she hadn’t physically changed since she met her all those years ago. His friend and roommate, however, is too polite to ask why Opal isn’t in a rebellious teen phase yet, and it seems Talia is very good at the ‘ _it’s only really a problem if you let it become a problem_ ’ game.

“Text you, huh? Wonder why she would do that,” Ronan says. His smirk is as mischievous as it is promising. When he looks over at the door, Opal has disappeared but he can hear faint rustling coming from the kitchen. Probably raiding Adam’s snack cupboard, Ronan muses. For a moment, he contemplates telling her off, but he knows her appetite is never-ending.

“Nice of her, though,” Adam counters, biting his lip and winking at Ronan.

Ronan groans in frustration and plops down onto the worn-out sofa.

“Don’t do this to me, Parrish, we still got dinner with Dick and Jane ahead of us.”

-

When they arrive at the restaurant, Blue and Gansey are already waiting for them. Ronan is forever thankful that Blue knows her way around Boston on a budget, because knowing Gansey he would have chosen a spot much fancier than the small Italian bistro his girlfriend has brought them to. Their group is seated in a spacious booth by the window front, and Opal decides to squeeze in between Blue and Gansey.

“This place looks great,” Adam says after accepting the menu from the waiter.

“Only the best for you, doc,” Blue answers. She reaches up to twirl a strand of tight curls around her index finger and blows a kiss at Adam. Over the past eight years her hair has grown in length but still possesses all its original spikiness.

“Wow, keep it in your pants, Sargent,” Ronan snarls, attempting to casually throw an arm over Adam’s shoulder. He’s not sure the move looks as cool as intended, but he welcomes Adam’s hand patting his knee reassuringly nevertheless.

Gansey looks up from his menu, presidential smile plastered on his face, “I missed this,” he confesses.

“Missed what, my natural charm and general awesomeness?” Ronan teases, rolling his eyes and focusing on the menu in front of him. In the corner of his eye, he sees Blue rubbing Gansey’s back in comfort.

Gansey doesn’t dignify this comment with an answer. Instead, he waves the waiter over with a gesture that seems both very natural and incredibly snobbish. “You know, this setup reminds me of all the evenings we spent at Nino’s.”

Adam, whose slender fingers are still clasped tightly around Ronan’s knee, hums in agreement.

“I miss Noah,” he confesses, “I wish he could be here.”

The grief over the loss of their best friend still stings, and Ronan lets a wave of sadness wash over him in that moment. It’s been eight years since Noah vanished and their lives have changed dramatically since then. Like Adam, Gansey went to Harvard after graduating from Aglionby. With Adam in pre-med and Gansey fast on his way to a law degree, the group rarely found time to hang out in their original formation. As if to add insult to injury, Ronan remained at the Barns for the majority of the year whilst Henry was shipped off to attend Oxford and was only ever around for Skype calls and the occasional class reunion.

“I know that if he were here, he would be so proud of you,” Ronan says and leans over to press a chaste kiss to Adam’s temple.

“Yeah, Noah always believed you would make it big,” Blue chimes in, offering a gentle smile.

The waiter interrupts their moment of melancholia, and Ronan is relieved. He felt emotion stinging his eyes the moment Adam mentioned Noah, and he is horrified at the idea of crying in public. Ronan manages to persevere through dinner without another close call. On the contrary, this evening might even be one of the loveliest he has had in a long time. Opal is cheerful throughout the entire meal and devours about a quarter of Adam’s pizza on top of her own portion of lasagne. Adam, who frowns playfully when she first snatches a slice off his plate, seems to be enjoying himself as well. By the end of the night, he is yawning and leaning against Ronan’s shoulder for support. Sleepiness is amplifying the affectionate side of Adam, and Ronan really can’t complain.

“We should get going,” Ronan says, “before Doctor Parrish here falls asleep on us.”

Gansey laughs softly. The slump in his shoulders indicates a similar state of exhaustion.

“Seriously, don’t you nerds ever catch any sleep?” Ronan asks and grins wickedly when Adam hums in annoyance and playfully pushes against his shoulder.

“Not everyone can afford to sleep in until noon every day,” Adam reasons, never one to let a jab sit, as he reaches for his wine glass.

“Gansey technically could,” Blue points out.

Gansey stares at her with an expression Ronan can’t quite read, but if he had to guess he would say it was offense. “That would be a waste of my time.”

“Not when you can spend it ridding the world of bad guys instead, huh?” Ronan quips.

“I’m a lawyer, Ronan, not a bounty hunter.”

“Ah, same difference,” Ronan says dismissively.

“Don’t be a dick, Ronan,” Adam says softly, but with determination.

“I’m not Dick, he is!”

-

Back in Adam’s apartment, Ronan checks his phone and realises that they were out at the restaurant for nearly three hours. Even Opal, who is tireless on most days, is sporting a weary expression as she flops down on the sofa. Ronan watches Adam dig through his linen closet for fresh sheets, blankets and a pillow for her.

“Try it, see if it’s comfy enough,” he tells Opal once the bed on the sofa is made. Opal obliges and kicks off her boots before climbing under the sheets and wiggling around for a moment or two.

“It’s great!” she says, finally, and gives Adam two thumbs up.

“Awesome! Now, Talia just texted and said she’d be home soon, so don’t get scared when you hear her coming in, okay?” Adam informs her as he pulls the blanket up to her chin.

“Okay,” Opal chirps, promptly closing her eyes. Ronan has to stifle a laugh.

Adam turns off the lights and pulls Ronan into his bedroom. “Shh,” he says before Ronan can even open his mouth, and Ronan feels a shiver creeping up is spine. They haven’t seen each other in a long time, but Ronan is only half-embarrassed at the effect even the slightest of Adam’s touches has on him. Nimble fingers rake up his chest as Adam lifts his arms to wrap them around Ronan’s shoulders. Although the embrace has come to resemble comfort and home, tonight it conveys hunger and longing, and Ronan feels overwhelmed with the ferocity of it as it curls and winds through his body. One of Ronan’s hands settles on the small of Adam’s back whilst the other one gently cradles his boyfriend’s chin, lifting up until their lips meet in the first of many kisses that night.

-

The next day, Adam graduates summa cum laude from Harvard Medical School. The auditorium is buzzing with friends and family members, each group cheering for their loved one when they are called up on stage. Ronan makes sure that Adam’s cheer squad is the loudest, most impressive of them all. Gansey abandons his regal mannerisms and shouts, “Yes, Adam!”, Blue and Opal are yelling and _wooh_ -ing, and Matthew, who ditched a lecture just to be here in support, puts two fingers to his mouth in a shrill whistle.

After the ceremony, Adam meets them at their seats. Ronan notes the flush in his cheeks and the glittering in his eyes. Nevertheless, he is smiling his brightest smile, and Ronan can almost, _almost_ detect the same presidential spark that is usually only discernible in Gansey. Opal is the first to hug him as she latches on to his side, wrapping her arms around his hips. Adam laughs as the girl nearly disappears behind his robe.

“Thank you guys so much for coming,” he says and looks up smiling at Matthew, Blue, and Gansey. Lastly, his eyes land on Ronan. This moment is so perfect, Ronan is afraid he might burst with happiness and pride. The rest of the group meets Adam for swift hugs.

“I don’t have much time now, they’re taking a group photo in a moment,” Adam explains as he parts from Matthew’s bone-crushing hug. Ronan knows this utterance is aimed at him, who admittedly would like nothing better than to whisk Adam away at an instant and celebrate between just the two of them. Instead, he puts on his most ravishing smile and engulfs Adam in a tight hug.

“I’m so fucking proud of you,” Ronan mumbles into Adam’s right ear and presses a slobbery kiss to his temple, knocking his graduation cap askew. He feels Adam squeeze tightly around his torso before letting go of their embrace.

“I’ll see you guys later?” Adam asks as he backs off into the crowd. Ronan nods, but only lets go of Adam’s hand when the distance doesn’t allow him to grasp onto it any longer. His eyes try to follow Adam through the crowd but it is not long before Ronan loses sight of him in the sea of black robes and formal attire. Then, from across the room, Ronan sees Talia, on her part roommate and fellow graduate, waving cheerfully at their group. It seems as though Blue has also noticed, because she excuses herself by patting Gansey’s shoulder twice, before making her way through the masses to chat with her. Ronan uses this opportunity to fill Matthew and Gansey in on his plans for the day.

“So, um,” he stammers, nodding for his brother and best friend to follow him to the outskirts of the crowd. “I was thinking we skip dinner.”

“What?” Gansey asks, flabbergasted. He informed the group earlier that he had made reservations for a meal at a, to his standard on the lower scale of fancy, restaurant. Adam erased the sour expression on his face before Gansey could notice, and thanked him for the invitation.

“The thing is, Richard, my man, that you should have talked to me before making plans for lunch,” Ronan says somewhat begrudgingly. This was much more awkward than he had hoped.

“I got us a room at the Liberty for tonight,” he further explains. Matthew lifts his hands in order to cover his ears.

“I so do not need to hear about the weird sexual endeavours you’ve planned,” he says, cringing visibly.

“Shut up, Matthew,” Ronan says, albeit gently. Taking a deep breath, he decides to stop beating around the bush.

“I’m planning to propose tonight.”

Matthew gasps audibly, then throws his arms around him in a fierce hug, “Oh my god, that’s so cool!”

When Ronan looks over at Gansey, he notices a conflicted expression that wipes the broad grin off his own face, “What? You don’t approve?”

Instantly, the frown is gone and Gansey smiles softly.

“Of course I do! I was just surprised, that’s all. I’m sure Adam will be very happy.”

“Good. Not that you could’ve stopped me, though.”

Gansey sighs, “I know,” patting Ronan’s back once. “Now tell us how you’re gonna do it.”

-

The plan was simple, really. After Adam completed all his obligations for the day, Ronan whisks him away in the BMW, leaving Opal with Blue and Gansey. In the car, Adam looks nervous, but Ronan attributes this to the fact that he is probably already suspecting a big, expensive surprise. When they arrive at the hotel, Ronan lets the valet take care of parking his car and shoves Adam through the revolving front door into the lobby of the luxury hotel. He handles their registration while Adam stands awkwardly by his side, trying to take it all in. They are shown to their suite by an empty-handed bell boy, as Ronan merely brought a small duffle bag of clothes for himself and Adam. The room is brightly lit by the late afternoon sun filtering through the window front, and Ronan stares at Adam’s illuminated form. Ronan thinks, “ _I want to spend the rest of my life with him_.” The thought catches Ronan off-guard. He knows he has felt this way for a long time, but implicit feelings are much easier to ignore. Fact is, the moment to pour out his feelings is quickly approaching.

“This is lovely,” Adam says, interrupting his thought process. He turns to face Ronan, squinting for his pupils to adjust to the darker corner of the room.

Ronan wonders, “Is it?” and steps forward to wrap his arms around Adam.

“Yeah, thank you,” Adam answers, and lifts his head to kiss Ronan delicately.

“You wanna order some room service and celebrate properly?” Ronan asks with a smirk, “Strawberries and a bottle of champagne seem very appropriate for the occasion.”

Adam pecks Ronan’s lips once more. “Okay, but I want fries as well.”

-

They spend the evening feeding each other strawberries and sipping on the most expensive champagne Ronan could find on the menu. He thinks it is terribly cliché, sitting on a hotel bed in nothing but the complimentary bath robes and consuming foods with supposedly aphrodisiac qualities, but he really can’t complain. Soon enough the sun has disappeared beyond the horizon and Adam reclines to lie on his back, staring at the ceiling. Ronan moves to lay beside him, propping himself up with his elbow to stare at his boyfriend’s face. After a moment of silence, Adam turns to look at Ronan intently.

“Did you know that the Romans believed that strawberries held healing powers and used them to treat pretty much everything from depression to inflammation and even gout,” he says with a serious expression and plops a small berry into his mouth.

Ronan laughs heartily. Of course, Adam would know some obscure fact about strawberries to dish out at any given moment.

“Yeah, yeah, Mister Harvard.”

Adam glares at him playfully, “ _Doctor_ Harvard, thank you very much.”

Ronan snorts, and turns to lie on his back, hands folded underneath his buzzed head. “I can’t believe you’re a fucking doctor,” he says, “Dr Adam Parrish, M.D.”

There is a jab in his side and Ronan realises that Adam just elbowed him in the ribs. “You know what that makes you.”

“What.”

_“Mister_ Dr Adam Parrish, M.D.,” Adam giggles delightfully.

“Shut it, Parrish,” Ronan barks through a laugh, taking revenge by elbowing him as well.

After a beat, Adam pushes himself up into a sitting position and takes a hold of Ronan’s hand.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking.”

“About?” Ronan asks, not moving from his reclined position on the bed but rubbing his thumb in circles in Adam’s palm. The man on the bed next to him sighs.

“That,” he starts, “You. Being Mister Dr Parrish.”

This catches Ronan’s attention, and he is up on his feet in a split second.

“Okay, okay…” Ronan says and holds his hands out in a gesture that denotes wait. Adam does, looking astonished by Ronan’s sudden outburst.

“Adam, what the hell,” Ronan says, running his hands over his shaved scalp, “Okay. Listen. Shut up for a second, okay? If this is what I think it is you gotta shut the fuck up and hold on for a minute, okay?”

Ronan looks at Adam’s defeated form sitting cross-legged on the king size bed. Racking his brain for his next step, he determines that _yes_ , this is the right moment. It has to be, any way. His fabulously planned proposal wasn’t about to be upstaged by ‘we need to talk’. Ronan snaps his fingers and points at Adam, then turns in search for his abandoned leather jacket.

“Where are you going?”

“Shut the FUCK UP, Parrish.”

Ronan detects panic in Adam’s voice as he worries, “Did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to freak you out…” but decides to ignore it in favour of struggling with the breast pocket of his jacket.

“Ronan.”

“No you didn’t say anything wrong!” Ronan snaps, desperately trying to wiggle the small velvet box out of the confines of the pocket, “Just. Wait a minute…. Come on… _AHA_!” Ronan shouts triumphantly, clasping the box tightly in his fist before shoving it into the front pocket of his dressing gown. He turns to face Adam.

“What are you doing?”

Ronan approaches the bed once again, gesturing for Adam to come and sit at the edge. Adam obliges. “I wasn’t ready for the conversation you were starting but now I am,” he says, holding out both of his hands for Adam to hold. Again, Adam complies and lets Ronan’s firm grasp engulf his wrists.

“You… what?”

Adam searches Ronan’s eyes for an answer. Ronan is surprised he hasn’t figured it out by now.

“Listen, Parrish,” Ronan says as he gets down on one knee, “ _Adam_ ,” he corrects himself.

Panic is written all over Adam’s face, but Ronan is unwavering. Either now or never.

“No, wait, what are you doing?”

“Shut up and let me do this.”

Adam sighs, and moves to slide off the bed, promptly assuming the same kneeling position Ronan is in, “Go on, I’ll wait my turn,” he says and smiles at Ronan through damp eyelashes.

“Okay, so. You know I’m not good at all this sentimental shit so you gotta bear with me, okay?” Ronan starts, emotion welling up in his chest like lava, waiting to erupt, “I love you so fucking much, okay? And like… Being away from you for the majority of the last eight years was absolute fucking hell, okay? Sure, we saw each other over breaks and on weekends but it was still absolutely torturous. And I don’t ever wanna be apart from you ever again.”

His eyes never leave Adam’s as he speaks, and he can see tears welling up in them but Ronan continues anyhow, “I always felt like you had a jumpstart on me in the adulthood department, and I had a lot of catching up to do in the past few years. I was clinging onto the Barns because it meant _home_ and _family_ and _comfort_. But what I’ve come to realise is that the Barns don’t mean shit when you’re not there. Sure, I feel comfortable there, but there’s this constant longing in the back of my mind that I could never really put my finger on. But now I know what that feeling means. It means that I’m at home wherever I’m with you.”

“So now, um… I have a question that I’ve been meaning to ask you since the beginning of, like, your first year at med school,” Ronan says, giving in to the pressure behind his eyes and letting tears spill. Adam sniffles, his grip on Ronan’s hands tightening.

Before Ronan can continue, he says, “Oh my god, Ronan,” and laughs a little through his tears.  
“I have something to say, as well, and I think if I don’t say it now I might not be able to because I’ll be crying too much… Fuck, Ronan.”

Adam closes his eyes for a brief second, seemingly collecting his thoughts. When he opens them again his gaze is softened and he is biting his lip to keep his smile from spreading to wide.

“Okay. Ronan,” he starts again, “For the first eighteen years of my life, I thought of home as a place where bad things happen. For such a long time, home meant nothing but loneliness, pain and suffering to me, and deep down I thought I could never escape. But then you came along and you showed me kindness and companionship, and you showed me love.”

Adam’s breath hitches, and his tone is high in emotion as he continues, “I never thought I was someone who could be loved. But you… you showed me a love that revolutionised my entire world. You showed me home and family and support. You encouraged me to follow my dreams and we made so many sacrifices along the way, but Ronan, looking back at my life I realise that Harvard means nothing compared to you. When I was a kid I dreamed of leaving the trailer park one day and being rich and successful and I’d show them all that I was capable of being something great. And now I realise that what truly makes me great isn’t Harvard, or med school, or all that _summa cum laude_ bullshit. _You_ are.”

Ronan listens to Adam’s monologue, reflecting on each word leaving his lips. Home and family. They were meant to spend the rest of their lives together and Ronan sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord for this, the greatest gift a man could ask for. A family. With trembling fingers, Ronan reaches into the pocket of his bath robe and retrieves the small box he stuffed in there earlier. He snaps it open and presents it to Adam.

“Adam,” he says, “Will you marry me?”

Adam throws his arms around Ronan the instant he finishes his utterance and kisses him fiercely, “Yes,” he says, breaking the kiss for a brief moment before delving back into the embrace.

-

“I can’t believe you stole the show like that,” Adam says breathlessly, as he plops down onto the mattress next to Ronan, “I had an entire thing planned for when we got back to the Barns.”

“A thing?”

“Yeah, you know. With candles and rose petals, and I was gonna cook for you and stuff.”

“Really?” Ronan laughs. The idea of Adam setting up this scenario is as hilarious as it is heart-warming.

“Mhm. I even have a ring. But since I didn’t expect you to pop the question tonight of all nights, I left it at my apartment,” Adam says as he holds his hand out in front of him to admire the golden braids intertwining and forming the ring around his finger.

“This is really beautiful, thank you.”

“Custom made, just for you. _Magician_.”

“That sounds way too hot when you say it like that,” Adam muses.

“Does it?” Ronan asks, cocking a single dark eyebrow. “Tell me, _magician_ ,” he says, pushing himself up and adjusting to kneel between Adam’s legs, “How’s this, then?”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me always implying that characters are doing it, but never actually writing it. I was debating whether this fic would need this much physical intimacy at all, but I figured that they haven't seen each other in ages and just got engaged. So yeah. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little thingy. I'm thinking of possibly writing another piece, maybe about their wedding. But we'll see, I don't actually have much time to write anything but my assignments and essays for uni.
> 
> You can find my on tumblr, @s-argent.
> 
> That's it. Take care! x


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